EVERYDAY LANGUAGE OF THE UKRAINIAN INTELLECTUALS IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY Cover Image

МОВА У ПОВСЯКДЕННОМУ СПІЛКУВАННІ УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ ІНТЕЛІГЕНЦІЇ (ДРУГА ПОЛОВИНА ХІХ СТОЛІТТЯ).
EVERYDAY LANGUAGE OF THE UKRAINIAN INTELLECTUALS IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY

Author(s): Olga Kazakevych
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, 19th Century
Published by: Видавництво ВДНЗ України « Буковинський державний медичний університет »
Keywords: sociolinguistics; Ukrainian language; native language; linguistic consciousness; intellectuals;

Summary/Abstract: In the 19th century Ukraine the Russian language due to its official status was the one of education, science, courts, newspapers etc. At the same time the Ukrainian was usually treated as a less prestigious language basically used by the illiterate peasants. Therefore, among the 19th Ukrainian intellectuals who shared the national sentiment, the usage of the native language on a daily basis had a great symbolic value. Basing on their memoirs and letters, the article describes the everyday language of Drahomanov’s, Zhytetsky’s, Lysenko’s, Kosach’, Samiylenko’s, Startsky’s and other families which members took an active part in the Ukrainian national movement. It is stated that all of them to greater or lesser extent were bilingual. For some of the intellectuals the Ukrainian language was their mother tongue, while others shifted to the Ukrainian at their adult stage under the influence of the colleagues, friends or spouses. The author comes to conclusion that due to the intellectuals’ efforts the social prestige of the Ukrainian language increased significantly.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 47-52
  • Page Count: 6
  • Language: Ukrainian